Rice Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Rice Creek Wildlife Management Area is 926 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Kanabec and Isanti counties, near Braham, inside Deer Permit Area 225. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 5,598 deer in DPA 225 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's wildlife management area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasState forest and other DNR landRice Creek WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 926 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Kanabec County and Isanti County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 225 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Braham |
| DNR area office | Cambridge |
| Nearest towns | Braham (next to it), Grasston (4 mi) and Stanchfield (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Rice Creek WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Rice Creek WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Rice Creek WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Rice Creek WMA?
Rice Creek WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 225. The DNR registered 5,598 deer in DPA 225 in 2025, against 5,038 in 2024.
| DPA | Rice Creek WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 225 | 926 | 5,598 | 5,038 | 4,326 |
Harvest for the whole deer permit area, not the WMA alone: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
How do you get to Rice Creek WMA?
From Braham, go 2 miles W on CSAH 4.
Nearest towns: Braham (next to it), Grasston (4 miles), Stanchfield (5 miles) and Henriette (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 65, MN 70 and MN 107.
What other public land is near Rice Creek WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Wire Tree WMA: 39 acres, 1 mile away
- Nessel WMA: 72 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Stanchfield WMA: 38 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Cranberry WMA: 317 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Kraft WMA: 94 acres, 6.7 miles away
- Erickson-Lidstrom Family WMA: 384 acres, 7.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rice Creek WMA
Counting Rice Creek WMA itself, 1,083 of the 34,184 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,043 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 40 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rice Creek WMA?
In Kanabec and Isanti counties, near Braham. The DNR's directions: From Braham, go 2 miles W on CSAH 4.
Which deer permit area is Rice Creek WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 225. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Rice Creek WMA?
1,083 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rice Creek WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Wire Tree WMA (1 mile).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Rice Creek WMA; Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.